In the manufacture of shaped muffins, both top and bottom of the muffin must be grilled. Uniform grilling and shaping of the muffin is done by passing the bottoms of the same over a line of burners with a cover on the top of the cup containing the muffin. Top-grilling turns the muffin over onto a hearth plate and removes the cup while passing it back over a second line of burners placed above the first line of the same. A turnover mechanism turns the muffins over in the cup under cover between bottom and top-grilling on a continuous basis.
The muffin grilling griddle of this invention is of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,106,400.
There is an established need for a muffin cup and cover turnover mechanism for continuous grilling griddles.
The proper control of a muffin during the turnover for grilling the top side is of the utmost importance. If the partially grilled dough is allowed to slide, or rub on a stationery surface, it can (and does) stick and tear the muffin surface. If the partially grilled doughpiece is allowed to fall from its proper relationship between the top and the bottom of the grilling cup, it will be misshapen and commonly considered a "Cripple" or a product unworthy of packaging for sale. They will be sloped on top instead of level. They will not handle in following equipment such as prescorers and splitters. They will not fit into toasters either. A properly made English muffin should be approximately the same size as the depth inside and the i.d. of the cup in which it was grilled. The top and bottom should be parallel.